Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

Access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene is the most basic human need for health and well-being. Today, global demand for water is outpacing population growth due to rapid urbanization and the rising needs of the agriculture, industry, and energy sectors.

Global water stress has held at 18% since 2023, with one in ten people now living under high or critical water stress, and several regions exceeding a 75% stress level. This scarcity is projected to worsen as rising temperatures from climate change disrupt the water cycle.

To ensure universal access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030, we must invest in infrastructure, protect water-related ecosystems, and promote hygiene education. Improving water-use efficiency is also key to reducing overall water stress. At our current pace, however, the world will not achieve sustainable water management until at least 2049, and reaching water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) targets in schools by 2030 will require doubling our current rate of progress.

Despite these challenges, the last decade has seen notable progress. Between 2015 and 2024, 961 million people gained access to safely managed drinking water, 1.2 billion gained safely managed sanitation, and 1.6 billion secured basic hygiene services. Still, massive gaps remain. To address this, the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal, will convene in the UAE from December 8 to 10, 2026, calling for a surge in investment, innovation, and political will to accelerate Goal 6.

Why should I care?

Access to water, sanitation, and hygiene is a fundamental human right. Water is vital not only for our health, but also for reducing poverty, securing our food supply, maintaining peace, and protecting ecosystems. Today, countries face mounting challenges from water scarcity, pollution, degraded ecosystems, and the complexities of managing shared transboundary water basins.

What are the challenges?

In 2024, 2.2 billion people still lacked safely managed drinking water, 3.4 billion lacked safely managed sanitation, and 1.7 billion lacked basic hygiene services at home. Managing our water sustainably allows us to better regulate food and energy production, support decent work, preserve biodiversity, and actively combat climate change.

Are water and climate change linked?

Yes, water availability is becoming increasingly unpredictable. In many regions, severe droughts are exacerbating water scarcity, directly harming human health and productivity while threatening global biodiversity. Providing reliable water and sanitation is a critical climate mitigation strategy. Without better infrastructure and management, millions of people will continue to die each year from preventable, water-related diseases like malaria and diarrhea.

What can we do?

Civil society organizations can hold governments accountable, invest in water research, and ensure women, youth, and indigenous communities are actively included in water governance. Bringing these diverse voices to the table creates better results for both human and ecological systems.

To get Goal 6 back on track, we must increase sector-wide investment, promote innovation, improve cross-sector coordination, and adopt a holistic approach to water management. On an individual level, you can get involved in the World Water Day and World Toilet Day campaigns to share information and inspire local action.